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Introduction
Several aspects exist in addiction. Varied treatment approaches have been designed to enable a drug user to obtain better behavior and health. These approaches address the effects of addiction on an individual and the surrounding community. Some strategies are used alone, while others require a combination for needed results. For methamphetamine addiction, these approaches include harm reduction, peer-based approaches, traditional as well as current treatment methods.
Approaches to treat addiction
Peer-based approaches primarily rely on assistance from individuals undergoing comparable challenges to recover. Peer-based approaches have shown significant improvement when applied to other procedures. They are convenient, useful, and great method for drug abuse recovery.
Support from peers is provided through numerous means: peer operated services, peer partnerships, peers with roles in health settings, and e-support groups. (Solomon, 2004). It usually entails mutual benefaction by the participants. Benefits of peer support include enhanced self-esteem, improved self-confidence and a sense of belonging. Harm reduction is an approach that includes policies and programs which, reduce effects of drug abuse. Its primary focus is on the impact and not the use. The approach:
- Maximizes available intervention options
- Does not fight against the use of drugs
- Treats addicts as noble beings.
- Focuses on manageable goals.
This approach prevents harm such as crime, aggression, overdose, accidents, addiction, mental and physical illnesses. Meth results in nerve endings and brain damage and is among the most dangerously addictive drugs. This approach equips users with the ability to have the self-control to their weakness to meth.
Traditional treatment approaches primarily include cognitive-behavioral treatment and the 12-step program. The 12-step program avails double recovery from addiction and resultant effects. It is an essential approach that ensures long term recovery from any addiction. It usually lasts for 30-90 days, and continued participation is encouraged to avoid relapse after recovery. However, its spiritual nature discourages some people.
Staging an intervention can also be used. However, it may be difficult for violent addicts who are at the denial stage of using meth. During such instances, a professional may intercede. These interventions aid in the users’ beginning rehabilitation. It is usually among the first interventions sought by a meth user and the family.
Current treatment approaches focus on the pharmacological aspect and part of the psychological aspect of recovery. They include detoxication, which, for meth users, safe meth removal from the body. It requires medical supervision. The prescription of medicines is allowed for the comfort of the patient. Benzodiazepine, for instance, may be used to relax an agitated meth patient. After this, one may undergo counseling or therapy where they are offered emotional support and guidance to recovery and extended sobriety.
There are varied and effective types of therapy for the treatment of meth addiction. Narrative therapy mends the conduct and thoughts of users using people’s life stories while cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on the treatment of meth addiction. Research on epileptic drugs and monoclonal antibodies to meth addiction led to better interventions. They discovered that Topiramate reduces the total intake of meth for active users and prevents relapse of recovering users (Elkashef, Kahn, Yu, & Dickinson, 2013). The use of anti-methamphetamine monoclonal antibodies (ch-mAb7F9) aided in the prevention of relapse of recovering patients and reduction of instances of overdoses in active users (Stevens, Henry, Owens, Schutz, & Gentry, 2014). Both interventions were found to be safely tolerable
Recommendations
To effectively promote treatment of addictions, policymakers should ensure easy availability of treatment approaches by:
- Providence of tax-related tributes
- Increment of state funding for treatment programs
- Providence of redeemable receipts for those undergoing treatment.
- Providence of therapy to both the users and those affected by the meth addiction.
- Increment of service providers to ensure optimal recovery of each patient.
- Providence of the recovery providers with holiday treats to encourage them.
- Encouraging the use of health insurance in treatment services.
Women should be given specialized attention because they are usually more physically and psychologically affected in cases of meth addiction. There should be continual public education on the abuse, resultant effects, and available recovery services of methamphetamine. It will reduce the number of beginners.
In conclusion, the available current methodologies address most issues. For instance, there is no prohibition for over the counter purchase of syringes in America, which is supportive of the harm reduction approach. There has been the availability of replacement approaches such as the use of Topiramate and anti-methamphetamine monoclonal antibodies.
References
Elkashef, A., Kahn, R., Yu, E., & Dickinson, R. (2013). Topiramate for the treatment of methamphetamine addiction: a multi-center placebo-controlled trial. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3331916/
Solomon, P. (2004). Peer support/peer provided services underlying processes, benefits, and critical ingredients. – PubMed – NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15222150
Stevens, M. W., Henry, R. L., Owens, S. M., Schutz, R., & Gentry, W. B. (2014). First human study of a chimeric anti-methamphetamine monoclonal antibody in healthy volunteers. – PubMed – NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25484042
